Ouaddou warns Old Peter Mokaba Stadium will make Pirates’ MTN8 semi-final tougher

Orlando Pirates coach Abdeslam Ouaddou says the conditions at the Old Peter Mokaba Stadium will add to the difficulty of his side’s MTN8 semi-final first leg against Sekhukhune United on Saturday.

The Buccaneers will travel to face Babina Noko at the Old Peter Mokaba Stadium, with the New Peter Mokaba Stadium reportedly undergoing pitch rehabilitation. Ouaddou believes the smaller and uneven playing surface at the alternative venue could provide an additional challenge for the defending champions.

Pirates have won the MTN8 in each of the past four seasons and are targeting a fifth consecutive title. Another appearance in the final would extend their strong record in the competition.

Sekhukhune United, however, are seeking their first MTN8 final since gaining promotion to the top flight. The two teams will meet twice within a matter of days, with a league fixture scheduled for Tuesday before the second leg of the semi-final on Saturday.

Ouaddou says Pirates must manage the tie intelligently, particularly because the opening match will be played away from home and the second leg will take place at Orlando Stadium.

“The game will not be easy because we are playing the first game away against a very, very good team of Sekhukhune,” said Ouaddou.

The coach pointed to Pirates’ previous difficulties when playing Sekhukhune on a compact pitch, while also acknowledging the quality of their opponents.

“I think if we take the history in the games, we know that all the time the games against Sekhukhune, all the time there are difficulties, especially when we’re playing in a small pitch.”

Pirates are also having to balance their MTN8 ambitions with the league meeting between the clubs. Ouaddou said his players would concentrate on the cup tie first before turning their attention to the domestic fixture.

“But yeah, for us, definitely we want to keep this title. We know that we have two games [and the league].”

“We just want to focus now on the MTN8 and we have time to focus on the league game, step by step. But definitely we want to go there to make results with a lot of ambition.”

The first leg represents an opportunity for Pirates to establish an advantage before the return match, but Ouaddou stressed that his team must avoid taking unnecessary risks across the two semi-final fixtures.

“But at the same time, it’s a game that you have to play very clever, very clever when you play two games like that. We need to be very, very smart because we still have another game at home.”

Pirates will therefore aim to leave the Old Peter Mokaba Stadium with a positive result, while Sekhukhune will look to use home advantage to strengthen their bid for a place in the MTN8 final.